1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for separating dienes from organic mixtures containing same. In a particular aspect this invention relates to a process for the separation of diene from organic mixtures comprising diene and alkene having one double bond by preferential permeation through a membrane under pervaporation conditions. In a more particular aspect this invention relates to a process for the separation of diene from an organic mixture comprising diene and alkene having one double bond by contacting said mixture against one side of a polymeric membrane which is a halogenated polymer of ethylene and recovering on the other side a vaporous mixture rich in diene.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Processes for the preparation of dienes such as butadiene and isoprene yield reaction mixtures which contain organic reaction products (typically substituted and unsubstituted C.sub.3 -C.sub.12 hydrocarbons) in addition to organic solvents and the desired diene. Separation of dienes from such organic reaction media has been accomplished by distillation procedures. Principally because of the close boiling points of dienes and typical reaction by-products, especially the corresponding alkenes having one double bond high reflux ratios or azeotropic agents and costly distillation equipment are required for the distillation separation procedure.
Separation of components of azeotropic mixtures of organic materials by pervaporation through polymer membranes is known to the art from U.S. Pat. No. 2,953,502 issued Sept. 20, 1960 to R. C. Binning and Robert J. Lee.